Repeating-transmitter for fire-alarm telegraph systems.



N. Hi SUREN. REPEATING TRANSMITTER FOR FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION. FILED JULY 22, 1910.

Patented June 24, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m wmh COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH ($0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

N. H. SUREN BEPEATING TR.ANSIVHFIEB. FOR FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS.

APPLIGATI'ON FILED JULY ZZ, 1910,

Patented June 24, 1913'.

3 SHEET-SHEET 2.

lI/L' Zness es N film M a W COLUMBIA PMNOURAPH CuWASHlNOTON. .c.

N. H. SURBN.

BEPEATING TRANSMITTER FOR FIRE ALARM-TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 22, 1910.

1,065,478, Patented June 24, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Zl iineasea: Jive/7 Z07 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CUuWASIlINGTDN. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATEN '1 OFFICE.

NATHAN H. SUBEN, OF NEEDI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAMEWELL FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

REPEATING-TRANSMITTER FOR FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1913.

Application filed July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,289.

7 '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, NATHAN H. SUREN, of Needham, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Repeating-Transmitters for Fire Alarm Telegraph Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to repeating-transmitters for fire-alarm telegraph systems. In such systems a repeating-transmitter 1s employed to repeat the signals received at the central-station from all the signal-circuits to the engine-houses and elsewhere, and is operated by the repeating-mechanism at said central-station. In case it becomes necessary to disconnect the repeating-mechanism, as for instance for purposes of repair, the signals are manually transmitted to the enginehouses, which involves liability of errors, and one of the objects of this invention is to provide a repeating-transmitter adapted to.

be operated by the repeatingmechanism and also by the signal-circuits, so that either operating means may be employed, and the signals automatically repeated.

Another object of the invention is to provide for operating the repeating-transmitter by manually operated means located at the central-station, in case of emergency. Ordinarily the operating-magnet of the repeat ing-transmitter is included in an open, circuit which is operated by the repeatingmechanism, and the signal-transmitters of the boxes are included in closed circuits, and another object of this invention is to arrange for operating the repeating-transmitter by means controlled by both open and closed circuits. Heretofore repeating-transmitters, in addition to operating the enginehouse circuits, have included means for changing the polarity of the battery of said circuits, so that when the transmitter is not in use said circuits may be employed for telegraphic purposes or other forms of sig naling, but immediately the transmitter starts the polarityv of the battery is changed, thereby placing said circuits exclusively under the control of the transmitter, and another object of this invention is to provide the transmitter with improved means for accomplishing this result; and, also improved means for operating the engine-house circuits.

Another object of the invention is to provide two independent operating-devices for the actuating-means for the circuit-operating device for the engine house circuit, whereby said means may be operated by either operating-device.

Another object of the invention is to provide the circuit-operating-device for the engine-house circuit with a setting-device, by which the polarity of the battery of the engine-house circuit may be reversed, and to so construct and arrange said setting-device that it may be operated by either one of two independent operating-devices, and when operated will hold the circuit-operating-device in position to be operated to in turn operate the engine-house circuit.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a repeating transmitter embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the repeating-transmitter shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the repeating-transmitter shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line '33. Fig. A is a right hand side elevation of the repeating-transmitter shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the power-driven shaft and actuating-disks thereon. Fig. 6 is a detail showing one of the circuit-operating devices and setting device therefor. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the releasing-device for the operating-member of the setting-device. Fig. 8 is a detail showing the releasing-device for the actuating-means of the circuit-operating-device. Fig. 9 is a diagram to be referred to.

6; represents an operating-magnet for the repeating-transmitter, which is included in or adapted to be operated by an electriccircuit a which is operated or controlled by the automatic repeating-mechanism, or by a manually operated signal-transmitter, not shown; and 22 represents another operating-magnet for the repeating-transmitter, which is adapted to be included in or operated. by an electric-circuit b, which is oper ated or controlled directly by the signaltransmitters of the fire-alarm boxes. The armature a of the magnet 64 is borne by a lever 04 secured to a pivot-shaft a and is normally held retracted. An arm a is secured to said pivot-shaft a which is employed to control the operation of a setting-device for the contact-pens, by which said pens are moved into abnormal position, whereby the polarity of the engine-house circuits may be changed and said circuits also operated. Said arm a is designed to operate releasing-mechanism for the operatingmcmber of said setting-device, and, as here shown, it extends beneath a pin 0, projecting laterally from a short arm 0, pivoted at. 0 which is connected by a link 0, with an arm a, pivoted at 0", and held against a stop pin 0 by a spring 0 The arm 0 has at its extremity a projection 0 which engages a detent c projecting laterally from a lever 0 pivoted at 0 A releasing arm 0", connected with said lever 0 is adapted to engage one or another detent on the operating-member of the setting-device and hold it at rest, and when moved to release said member, permitting it to operate. In lieu of the specific form of releasing mechanism here shown, for the operatingmember of the setting-device, it is obvious that other forms of releasing-mechanism may be employed.

As here shown the operating-member consists of a revoluble disk d, see Figs. 5 and 7, connected with a power-driven shaft (Z, and having several detents (Z arranged on one side of it, any one of which is adapted to engage the releasing-arm 0 Said disk cl, as here shown, has four detents (Z arranged equal distances apart, adapted to engage said 1'eleasing-arm, but any other number may be employed. Said detents have bev eled faces which engage the beveled end of the releasing-arm, and when the releasingarm is permitted to operate, by an upward movement of the arm 0 disengaging the detent 0, the powerdriven disk cl advances, and pushes the detent which at such time engages the releasing-arm, past said releasing-arm, thereby moving said releasing-arm on its pivot and moving the lever 0 toward the left a short distance. Said lever 0 has at its extremity a detent 0 normally lying beneath the end portion of a locking-lever 0 pivoted at 0 and held down against a stop 0, by a spring 0 and when said lever 0 is moved toward the left, as aforesaid, its detent 0 passes from beneath the endportion of the locking lever, to a position just beyond the end of said locking-lever, lifting the locking-lever during such movement, and as said lockingdever immediately resumes its normal position it falls back of said detent c and acts to prevent the return of said lever 0 The disk cl, having thus been released, moves but a short distance, when its movement is checked, but during such movement it operates the setting-device to set the contact pens, and therefore serves as an operating-member for said setting-device.

For the purpose of checking forward movement of the disk cl, other detents d are arranged on one side of it, which are made like the detent-s (Z and said detent-s (Z are arranged respectively between the sev eral detents (Z alternating therewith, but are more remotely disposed relative to the aXis of the disk, and an arm 0 is con nected with the pivot-shaft c of the lever 0 which, when the disk d is released as aforesaid, and said. lever moved into abnormal position, is moved into the path of movement of said detents d, so as to engage any one of said detents and thereby check movement of said disk, and said arm 0 is held in its engaging-position by the lever 0 which is at such time locked. Said arm 0 acts, by engaging one of said detents (Z to hold the disk d at rest, with the settingdevice in position to hold the contact-pens set while the signal is being repeated, and subsequently when said lever 0 is per mitted to resume its normal position, said disk cl again operates and pushes the detent cl, which is in engagement with said arm 0 past said arm, and thereby moves said arm and lever 0 connected therewith and the releasing-arm 0 back to their normal positions, said releasing-arm returning into the path of movement of the detents (P, in order that it may subsequently be engaged by one of said detents d and move ment of the disk thereby again checked. Hence the arm 0 acts not only as a means for holding the disk d at rest while the signal is being repeated, but also as a restoring-arm, being operated by any one of the detents (Z on the disk (Z, to restore the releasing-arm.

The operating-member of the setting-device is, therefore, herein designed to not only operate the setting-device, but also to operate the releasing-arm which is employed to release it, but I do not limit my invention to the employment of an operating-member having the capability of performing both of these functions, or to the particular construction of ope1'ating-inember herein shown. 7

To control the return movement of the lever 0 in such manner that it will not be returned until the complete signal has been repeated a timed controlling-device is provided which is designed to lift the locking lever 0 only after the circuit of the operating-magnet has remained normal for a predetermined period of time, and thereby disengage said lever 0 permitting it to resume its normal position. As here shown said locking-lever 0 is connected by a link 0 with the extremity of an arm a, pivoted at 0 beneath which travels an arm 0, universally connected at one end to a suitable support whereby it may be moved back and forth in a horizontal plane, and also moved up and down. Said arm 0 bears a finger 0 adapted to engage a worm 0 on a shaft 0 so that it may be moved in one direction, in a horizontal plane, by said worm, and when lifted free from said worm may be moved in the opposite direction by a spring 0" attached to it. Movement of said arm is limited in opposite directions by stop-pins. The pivoted-arm 0 bears a pivoted spring-pressed pawl 0 which enters the pat-h of movement of the arm 0 so as to be engaged by said arm for the purpose of lifting the arm 0 and in turn lifting the locking-lever 0 Up and down movement of the arm 0 is controlled by the operatingmagnet, and, as here shown, a pin 0 extends beneath said arm 0 which projects laterally from an arm 0 secured to the pivot-shaft c and as said shaft is rocked by the arm 0' connected therewith and the arm a connected with the armaturelever of the operating-magnet, said arm 0 will be correspondingly moved, it being positively lifted by said pin 0 and re turned' by a spring 0 attached to it. When the armature of the operatingmagnct is attracted the arm 0 is lifted, disengaging the worm, and is immediately moved in a hori zontal plane by the spring 0 and when said armature is retracted said arm is permitted to fall and engage the worm and is moved in a homeward direction by said worm, and such movements of the arm 0 are repeated as the armature of the operating-magnet vibrates, until such time as it is permitted to remain in engagement with the worm long enough to return home, when it passes beneath the pawl on the pivoted-arm 0 and during such passage lifts said arm and thereby lifts the locking-lever 0 permitting the lever 0 to be restored to its normal position by the action of the disk d, as previously described. Hence the settingdevice will be held until such time as the circuit of the operating-magnet has remained normal for a predetermined period of time. The worm-shaft 0 is driven by a train of gearing connected with the power-driven shaft (Z, and as llcie hown a toothed gear 0 is connected with said shaft (Z, which engages a pinion secured to a shaft 0 bearing a toothed-gear 0 which engages a pinion 0 secured to the wormshaft, and an escape-wheel 0 is-alsosecured to said worm-shaft with which cooperates a suitable pallet 0 Other means may be employed for controlling the movement of the lever 0 in lieu of that here shown, which comes within the scope of my invention.

The setting-device, as here shown, con sists of a horizontally arranged bar 6, having a laterally extended pin 6 at one end,

with or without a roll thereon, which engages a cam-groove (Z formed in one side of the disk cl, and its opposite end is loosely or pivotally connected to an arm 6 of an elbow-lever pivoted at 6 the other arm 6 of said lever bearing the contact-pens e adapted to normally engage contact-pens e, and to be moved out of engagement therewith and into engagement with contactpens 6 The cam-groove d is so shaped with respect to the detents on said disk 03' as to operate to move the bar longitudinally and thereby set the settingdevice when said disk is first released, and before or by the time its movement is checked and subsequently to return said bar to its normal position and thereby positively restore the setting-device when said disk is a second time released and operates to restore the releasing-arm, the setting-device being there by held with the contact-pens set, during the time the'disk cl remains disengaged by the releasing-arm and is held checked by the restoring-arm. In lieu of the settingdevice herein shown any other form may be employed. The contact-pens 6 e and e are arranged in pairs, that is to say, the arm 6* bears a pair of contact-pens c for each engine-house circuit 6 and said contactpens normally engage a pair of contactpens 6 connected with a battery c and are movable out of engagement with said contact-pens c and into engagement with a pair of contact-pens 6 which are also connected with the battery, but said contactpens e and e are reversely connected with the battery, so that as the contact-pens e are moved out of engagement with one pair and into engagement with the other pair the polarity of the battery 6 is reversed.

The engine-house circuits 0 one only of which is here shown in diagram, see Fig. 9, are normally closed, and, as here shown, the circuit includes a neutral-relay e and a polarized-relay 6 and the armature of the neutral-relay is adapted to operate a localcircuit 6 and the armature of the polarized-relay is adapted to connect one or the other branch wire e e, in said local circuit, according as it is moved to one or the other side of the relay. When the armature of the polarized-relay is in the position shown in Fig. 9 and the engine-house circuit e operated by a key 6 or other means, the armature of the neutral-relay 6 will operate a circuit including the branch-wire e and sounder 6 but when the contactpens e are operated by the repeating-transmitter the armature of the polarized-relay will be moved to the other side and the local branch-wire 6 connected in circuit, and the gong 6 included in said branch circuit-wire will be operated, the sounder being disconnected.

The setting-device moves the contact pens 6 into cooperative engagement with a con troller by which they are subsequently repeatedly operated, to operate the enginehouse circuit. The controller, as here shown, consists of an elliptical or other shaped roll f, secured to a shaft 7, and arranged be neath the contactpens 6 and so disposed relative thereto that when the contact-pens are set they will engage it. As here shown said contact-pens each bear a small roll adapted to engage the roll ,1 to reduce the friction at the point of engagement. hen the contact-pens e are in engagement with that part of the roll f, of shortest diameter, they will engage the contact-pens c and, as the roll is turned, they will be lifted out of engagement with said contact-pens 6 but not far enough to engage the contactpens 0. Hence the engine-house circuit is up erated by the contact-pens a repeatedly engaging and disengaging the contact-pens 0 The shaft f is turned. a half revolution for each signal-impulse, to thereby correspondingly turn the roll f. Normally the roll f is arranged in a middle position, so that when the contact-pens are set by the setting-device they will engage said roll, but will occupy a middle position between the contact-pens e and c and as the roll is turned they will engage and then disengage said contact-pens 6 For the purpose of intermittingly revolving the roll a pinion f is secured to the shaft 7, which is engaged by an intermediate toothed-gear f secured to a shaft 7, which engages a toothed-gear f arranged on the power-driven shaft (Z, and said toothed-gear is connected by gearing with a disk 7', also arranged on said shaft (Z, which is provided with several detents f three being here shown, arranged at equal distances apart, and projecting outwardly from the periphery of said disk, any one of which is adapted to engage a double-lockingarm f secured to the pivot-shaft a of the armature-lever of the operating-magnet, whereby said disk 7 is intermittently released by movements of the armature of said magnet.

The locking-arm f has two pins f f projecting laterally from it, one above the other, and any one of the detents f normally engages one of said pins, as f and when the armature is attracted and the arm f moved in one direction, said pin f is moved from beneath the detent f and the disk permitted to revolve until the next detent j engages the other pin f, when its movement is checked; and then when the armature is retracted said arm f is moved in the opposite direction and the pin f moves from beneath said detent- 7", to again release the disk and permit it to revolve until its movement is again checked by said detent engaging the other pin f. The movement of the disk 7" is suflicient to operate the gearing and turn the roll 7 one-half revolution and thereby permit the contact-pens e to engage the contact-pens e and then disengage them, thereby closing and again opening the engine-house circuit.

For the purpose of regulating the movement of the roll f a suitable regulating-elm vice is provided, which, as here shown, consists of a revolving-fan g, secured to a shaft 6/, bearing a pinion 9 which engages a toothed-gear 9 secured to a shaft 57*, bearing a sprocket-wheel. over which passes a sprocket-chain g, which passes around a. sprocket-wheel g secured to the shaft f.

The invention is not limited to the employment of the particular form of controller for the bontact-pens 6 here shown, or to the particular means here shown for operating it.

As many engine-house circuits 0" will be connected with the repeating-iransmitter as desired, and for simplicity of construction and compactness of parts two setting-devices may be employed, arranged at opposite sides of a single operating-member, so that both may be operated by said member, and each setting-device will bear as many pairs of contact-pens e as may be required, there be ing one pair for each enginehouse circuit. As here shown, two shafts f are provided, bearing rolls f, for operating the contactpens 6 The opcrating-magnet Z) is designed to be included directly in the main signal-circult or to be operated directly thereby, in case the automatic repeating-mechanism should be disconnected, and as said signal-circuit is normally closed the operating-magnet b designed to be operated as a closed circuitniagnet. Normally, however, it is disconnected from the circuit, hence its armature is retracted, but when connected in circuit its armature is attracted, and is ready to respond. its armature b is connected/to an armature-lever 12 secured to a pivotshaft 6 and to said pivot-shaft an arm If is attached, which extends beneath the pin 0 on the arm 0, so that when the armature is attracted said arm 0' will be lifted just the same as it is lifted by the arm a" and the operating-member of the settingdevice or devices will be released. A double-locking arm 19 is also connected to said pivot-shaft 72 having at its upper end two pins 6 b arranged one above the other and adapted to engage one or another detent b, on a disk 6, connected with the power-driven shaft (Z. Said disk I) is constructed substantially the same as the disk f, and is intermittently released by a movement of the armature 6 Normally one of the detents Z)" on the disk a engages the lowermost pin 6, and when the arm 6 is moved, incident to the armature attracting, said detent disengages said pin 5 and as the disk revolves, it immediately engages the detent (1 although such short movement of the disk is not sufficient to accomplish any effective results, butwhen the armature is retracted the arm 6 is moved in the opposite direction and the disk Z1 thereby released and permitted to revolve until the next detent I) engages the pin 6 and during such movement of the disk the toothedgear f is operated to revolve the shafts f, and thereby operate the contact-pens e Thus it will be seen that either operatingmagnetmay be employed to effect the operation of the engine-house circuits. In case it becomes necessary to operate the repeating-transmitter manually the operatingmagnet a will preferably be selected as said magnet is designed to be operated as an open-circuit-magnet, and the circuit which is operated by the manual transmitter will, ordinarily, be an open-circuit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and ters Patent is l. A repeating-transmitter having one or more circuit-operating devices, actuatingmeans therefor, and two separate operatingmagnets for said actuating-means, one operating by a movement of its armature toward its poles and the other by a movement of its armature away from its poles, substantially as described.

2. A repeating-transmitter having one or more circuit-operating-devices, actuatingmeans therefor, two independent operatingdevices for said actuating-means, and two electro-magnets for releasing said operatingdevices, respectively, one operating by a movement of its armature toward its poles and the other by a movement of its armature away from its poles, substantially as described.

3. A repeating-transmitter having one or more circuit-operating-devices, power-driven actuating-means therefor having two detentcarrying disks connected therewith, a releasing-lever for each disk having two locking-pins adapted to be successively engaged by the detents thereon and two electro-magnets for operating said releasing-levers, respectively, substantially as described.

4. A repeating-transmitter having a circuit-operating-device, a setting-device for said circuit-operatingdevice, motor-mechanism to operate said setting-device at the beginning of a signal and to restore same at the end of a signal, actuating-means for said circuit-operating-device operated by said motor1nechanism, and two separate magnets to release said motor-mechanism and to control the operation of said actuating-means, one adapted to be operated by repeating-mechanism connected with the signal-circuits and the other by the signalcircuits, substantially as described.

5. A repeating-transmitter having a circuit-operating device, a setting-device for said circuit-operating-device, a motor-driven operatingmember therefor, motordriven actuating-means for said circuit-operating device, and two separate magnets for recircuits, substantially desire to secure by Let- 'tuating-means for said leasing said operating-member at the beginning of a signal and for releasing said actuating-1neans on each signal-impulse, one of said magnets adapted to be operated by repeating-mechanism connected with the signal-circuits and the other by the signalas described.

6. A repeating-transmitterhaving a circuit-operating-device, a setting-device for said circuit-operating-device, an operatingmember therefor, releasing-mechanism for said operating-member, actuating-means for said circuit-operating-device, and two independent operating-magnets for said releasing-mechanism and actuating-means, substantially as described.

7. A repeating-transmitter having a circuit-operatingdevice, a setting-device for said circuit-operating-device, an operatingmember therefor, releasing-mechanism for said operating-member, timed-controlled restoring-mechanism for said releasing-mechanism, actuating-means for said circuit-operating-device, and two independent operating-magnets for said releasing-mechanism and actuating-means, which also control the operation of said restoring-mechanism, substantially as described.

8. A repeating-transmitter having a circuit-operating-device, a setting-device for said circuit operating device, timed controlled restoring-mechanism for said settingdevice, actuating-means for said circuit-operating-device, and two independent operating-magnets for said setting-device and actuating-means, which also control the operation of said restoring-mechanism, substantially as described.

9. A repeatingtransmitter having a circuit-operating-device, a setting-device for said circuit-operating-device motor-mechanism to operate said setting-device at the beginning of a signal and to restore same at theend of a signal, actuating-means for said circuit-operatingdevice operated by said motor-mechanism, and a magnet to release said motor-mechanism and to control the operation of said actuatingmechanism, subrstantlally as descrlbed.

10. A repeating-transmitter having a circuit-operating-device, a setting-device for said circuit-operating-device, a motor-driven operating-member therefor, motor-driven accircuit-operating-device, and a magnet for releasing said operating-member at the beginning of a signal and for releasing said actuating-means on each signal-impulse, substantially as described.

11. A repeating-transmitter having a circuit-operating device, a setting-device for said circuit-operatingdevice, a motor-driven operating-member therefor, releasing-means and locking-means for said operating-member, motor-driven actuating-means for said circuit-operating-device, and a magnet for operating said releasingnieans at the beginning of a signal and for releasing said actuating-means on each signal-impulse, substantially as described.

12. A repeating-transmitter having a circuit-operating-device, a setting-device for said circuit-operating-devico, an operatingn1eniber therefor, releasing-mechanism for said operating-member, timed-controlled restoring-mechanism for said releasing-mechanism, actuating-means for said circuit-0perating-device, and an operating-magnet for said releasing-incchanisin and actuatingmeans, which also controls the operation of said restoring-mechanism, substantially as described.

18. A repeating-transmitter having a cir cuit-operating-device, a setting-device for said circuit operating device timed controlled restoring-inechanisin for said settingdevice, actuating-means for said circuit-operating-device, and operating-meshanisni for said setting-device and actuating-means,

which also controls the operation of said restoring-mechanism substantially as described.

i i. A repeating transmitter adapted to operate a circuit and to reverse the polarity of the current in said circuit, having a polechanging circuit-operating-device, a settingdevice for said circuit-operatingdevice,InotO1.H16Cl1R11lSD1 to operate said set-ting-clevice at the beginning of a signal and to restore same at the end of the signal, actuating means for said circuitoperatingdevice operated by said motor-mechanism and a magnet to release said motor-mechanism and to control the o aeration of said actuating-means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the: presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

NATHAN H. SUREN.

W itnesses H. B. DAVIS, B. J. Norms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3. 

